Damned are the Little Children
by Deadly Gamble
Summary: Daniel and Hazel, have found hope and security under Baron Alexander's wing. But as far as pessimists and optimists go , reality strikes the hardest out of the children's fantasy world.  They are digging themselves a hole they may never get out of.
1. Chapter 1

It was spring, the first day of spring, but it didn't feel like it. The snow and ice made the playground almost like a tundra terrain not suitable for the play of children, the nights were still chilly. The only thing that seemed to mark the end of winter was that the days were getting longer, although the sun covered the sun during morning, noon and evening. The orphanage was very poor by the standers of a orphanage, just enough income came in to support the building and its children, even if it wasn't much. Many of the children were grateful for everything these reserved while others wanted more and weren't happy with the lifestyle they held. They made of a group of optimists and pessimists.

There were very few books in the orphanage, considering many of the children couldn't read. But even so, two figures, a boy and a girl were in the small library (Which was only made up of three book shelves, the last one not even filed.) reading away.

A young girl sat on her elder brother's lap, he held a book in front of them, a picture book holding very few words, a fairy tale. She looked to be eight years of age, her pale brown hair curly and in a braid, some stands falling over her ears, her blue eyes scanning the book contently. Her brother seemed at peace as well, dark brown hair falling in straight strands down to his neck, it looked a bit greasy from not being washed in a while. The brother was one of the only children in the orphanage who could read and write properly, though he claimed it was only from reading these books over and over, he felt if he read a different book it would be a completely different concept then these. His sister, Hazel, on the other hand could not read or write, and Daniel wasn't a very good teacher. The only words she knew how to read and write were; 'and', 'what', 'an', 'yes'. 'no', and 'please'. Though her lack of vocabulary did not limit her imagination.

Daniel's concentration was yanked away from him, he looked over to the window of the opposite room, there was a man there. Talking with the headmaster, this...Seemed very curious, the man was very peculiar looking. With white hair even in when he seemed to be in his late forties, he was very tan though, couldn't of been albino.

"Why did you stop reading?" Hazel asked, not noticing the man in the other room as she studied the pictures on the page with firm eyes.

The man turned away from the headmaster and he and Daniel made eye context. He gave a kind smile. Daniel blushed lightly and looked back down at the book. Hazel leaned her head backwards to look up at her brother.  
"Dany?" she asked in her sweet voice, like honey.  
"Yes?" he replied, giving her a small smile.  
"Read, read!" she made a pouting face, crossing her arms across her chest. Daniel smiled and then went back to reading, looking for where he was last.  
The two were deep in the book, not noticing someone entering the room and standing by them. Not until they herd the headmaster voice, they looked up.  
"Daniel, Hazel.. This is Alexander." The headmaster said pointing at the man from before.  
"He is," the headmaster smiled, glancing back at the man and then back at them,"Going to be your new father."  
The two were speechless, never thinking they would get adopted so soon.. and by a man this.. rich!

Alexander smiled gently, the dull wrinkles forming on the sides of his mouth tightened and for a split second it looked younger. Hazel seemed to brighten up and she slid off of Daniel, looking up at the headmaster and Alexander with ablaze eyes, eager and strong, even for her poor health. Daniel stood up from the chair, clutching the book in hands with his finger in the place they had left off. "How long will we have to pack?" he asked. Hazel seemed to bounce up and down with excitement, though her feet stayed planted on the ground.

Daniel helped his sister into the carriage. Alexander already sat in it, waiting for the two. He had bought them some new clothes and got them to change into them. Hazel loved what she got, a nice , elegant dress like the ones in the stories Daniel had read to her so many times. For Daniel, it was a much more fair and handsome outfit he saw some 'rich' kids wear it when he had went out into town, with light brown patterns and green  
Hazel couldn't keep still as she hanged out the window. Daniel kept a close eye on her to make sure she didn't fall, so did Alexander. "Be careful." he warned moving closer so he was able to grab her in case she slipped.  
"Where do you live, Alexander?" Daniel asked, putting the bags down beside his feet and looking up at him.

"Its aways aways, but don't fright. You will be there in no time." Alexander purred, sitting in almost perfect posture, making the young boy feel smaller then him in both social ranking and body stature.  
Hazel ended up falling asleep, stretched along her new father's lap. It was a rather long trip, Daniel had to wonder where on Earth were they going, considering Alexander never told him the exact location of where they were going and where they would end up in the end of it all. In safe hands? Or nefarious clutches?

"Rest Daniel," Alexander ordered, stroking Hazel's forehead "You won't miss anything, and maybe you'll even wake up in your new bed!" he smiled. Daniel smiled back. He couldn't wait to see what it looked like. The rest of the trip he forgot his worries. Soon after falling asleep.

He awoke a bit shocked at where he was lying. It was a large, soft bed, much different from that of the orphanage. His vision turned to the rest of the enormous room. The room contained a book shelf on one side, two desks with dark wood side by side on the other. A dresser lied on one side of Daniel's bed, holding a vase, a small journal book, and a silver candelabra. A door leading to the hallway and a smaller room for the bathroom. There was a closet and a wooden chest sitting beside it. Childish wallpaper covering the walls. Behind him was a large window, the sun was shining in in radiant, yellow beams. He looked out and let out a small gasp at what he saw.  
A large and what seemed to be endless forest stretched out for ancers, pine trees. These trees had to be decades old, more! Thick and sturdy, he could easily see a tire swing going on one of the branches. The grass was starting to turn green, patches of dead brown here and there. There was a shading spot in which snow still was present.  
Across the room was Hazel's bed, leaning against the wall opposite to his . She was sound asleep in her own bed. It was the same size of his but on her own bed, laid much more frilly sheets. The young girl was curled up with a simple teddy bear. He smiled and got out of bed, tiptoeing away from his bed and Hazel's, hoping not to disturb her.

After a few moments of wondering, a gruff yet gentle voice sounded across the room. "Daniel," he seemed a bit edgy. "I don't want you to be wondering around just yet, this castle has many passages ways. Its easy for one to get disorientated... "

Daniel seemed to ignore this order as he went on with questions, "What do you do for a living Alexander?" he asked, staring at the man bright eyed.

"Hm? Oh, yes. I work as an alchemist and well, I am a baron so I mus-"

Daniel's brightness faded as he began to understand, in the small library of the orphanage there was a book about royalty, one section including barons and counts included some very gruesome and dark history to it. Some Daniel had to flip over in frustration and disgust.

"Your a jailer as well?"

"Yes, and I will give you this warning, do not venture into the prison or ...Dungeon." Alexander seemed to have to think of a more appropriate word. Daniel looked down and headed back to his room, seeing to wake up Hazel and interact with her to get his mind off the questions and images in his head.

Good enough for a first chapter? I hope so... Sorry if anything is inaccurate, feel free to correct in the review box.


	2. Chapter 2

"Don't venture into the prison.." the words were like a warning from an angel, almost like the story of Sodom. If you look back, you would fall into the ground as a pile of sand. Daniel wondered what horrors awaited him if he located the prison and...

Hazel shook her brother gently, trying to pull him out of the comfort of his bed. The brown haired boy only groaned and threw a pillow over his head. "Hazel, I don't feel well." he didn't dare look at her, knowing he would see the hurt in her big blue eyes and he would finally give into her.

"Brother, its snowing. Come outside with me!" she begged, shaking her annoyed sibling.

"You can't go outside when its snowing!" he sat up, not believing that Hazel would even want to go outside in her weary, sick state. "You'll get _ill_."

"I wont if you come with." she begged again. How was Daniel supposed to keep her from becoming ill just by being outside with her? He snorted with irritation at his sister's determination, she was serenity stubborn.

"Fine, go outside. Be careful and don't wonder off." he advised, he felt dumb and sluggish today, though he should feel happy and active being in a new home! He didn't, it was like something was pulling him down, deeper and deeper. It was like something was consuming him slowly. Maybe it was the thought of the prison, was it in use? How many people were down there if any? Why, why, why?

The girl glared at him, a bubble of hurt forming, about to burst. She put on her down coat and warm mittens, then ventured outside into the courtyard of Brennenburg. Daniel stumbled out of bed like a zombie after she stormed out of the room. Maybe he wouldn't have let her go...he thought, but let it go. She would be fine. He traveled outside into the long stretching hallway, looking at the grandfather clock. It was old, but massive, engraved with designs as if by angels and masons themselves. It had to be at least 100 years old, but it was almost perfect looking. It was 6 in the morning. He never got up this early, nor did his sister. But he was too awake to go back to bed.

Daniel wondered down the corridor, it was dark, even in the morning light. The torches on the sides of the walls looked like they had been used many times, keeping demons out of the castle at night until the sun destroyed them all. It was still dark, and it creaked at every step. Daniel speed up his pace, hoping to met little Hazel at the end of the hallway and stop her from going outside. He felt woozy , sick. He felt like he was being fallowed by something, but he when he turned around, the only thing behind him was dimness. No monsters, no demons, no creatures of the night, nothing. Just himself.

Of course the castle was safe! What was Daniel thinking, it was a new environment, it would take a while to get used to it. Soon he would know every secret passage, every hallway, every room, every mouse hole, and every misplaced floor board. There was nothing to be afraid of! He reassured himself as he drew closer to the entrance hall where Hazel went. Down the rickety stairs, though some more hallways and doors...He tried retracing his steps from yesterday but...He found no main hall where he should have been! It was a huge room, filled with pillars and large windows, gapping in needed light. Daniel gulped and walked in, looking up at the door way arch. Something in German.

The young boy stumbled deeper into the room, the sounds of a settling castle reminded him of a boat, though he had never been on one. There was a narrow stairway leading downward into a even darker area, and a little ways aways were two rooms, the arch way signs still in German. Though, Daniel recognized the word 'lab', so it was most likely a laboratory but the room across from it could have been anything. He opened the door to the laboratory, making a loud creaking sound that echoed up the stairway and into the immense living space. He cringed and hurried in, there was no hurt for exploring, was there? As long as he didn't mix anything or even touch anything, he should be fine. The lab can't be that big or confusing as the rest of Brennenburg.

Hazel let out a big sneeze, rubbing her hands together. She rubbed her stuffed noise and moved deeper into the forest. It was just a little cold, nothing for fret over! She smiled to herself. She felt so grown up! It was like she was going on a journey into an uncharted forest, where no man had stepped before, and she was the first to look it dead in the eye and step on it's forbidden ground. No mere cold was going to stop her from exploring. She knew Alexander would be disappointed and angry that she went out by herself, without Daniel, but it would be worth it.

The air around her seemed to become thicker, harder to breath, like she was increasing in altitude. Her vision was starting to become fuzzy, and she stopped. Maybe it was time to go back. She hacked out a wet cough, blood smearing her little pink mitten. She gasped, her eyes wide with terror. Hazel started to move back to the castle, but a massive expanse of snow left her trapped. "Daniel!" she cried out, but Hazel's small voice barely unsettled the robins in the trees. The sickly girl tumbled to the ground and broke into violent coughs, mucous and blood fallowing.

A figure rose in front of her, she couldn't tell who or what it was, but for a second it looked like a monster beyond her comparison as she faded into black.


End file.
